Do it sooner than later.
City of Vernon staff have put forward a recommendation to council seeking early 2026 budget approval for the 43rd Avenue Corridor Improvement Project, which goes hand-in-hand with the current construction of the new Active Living Centre (ALC).
Staff will hope to convince council to approve an early 2026 budget request not to go over $4.63 million, which would be funded from a variety of city reserves.
The city's current five-year infrastructure plan, up to 2029, includes the corridor project. Infrastructure renewal and improvements at Alexis Park Drive, 43rd Avenue and Old Kamloops Road were included as a project in 2026, planned and coordinated with the ALC.
"Administration is planning to have the improvements at the 43rd Avenue, Alexis Park Drive, and Old Kamloops Road intersection, as well as a new multi-use path on 43rd Avenue from Alexis Park Drive to Highway 97, completed to coincide with the ALC opening in fall of 2026," said Mark Dowhaniuk, city manager, infrastructure management, in a report to council.
"The work on Alexis Park Drive from 39th Avenue to 43rd Avenue would be planned for 2027, due to available funding. This change in scope will still provide the supporting transportation infrastructure required to support the opening of the ALC."
Completion of the new facility is expected by the fall of 2026.
In order to meet this timeline, staff is recommending that the city move forward with procurement immediately for the 43rd Avenue Corridor Improvement Project.
"This mitigates schedule risks by allowing the option for portions of the work to be completed in the late summer and fall of 2025," said Dowhaniuk in his report.
Should council defer approval until the fall of 2025, and consider it for the 2026 budget process, the move would compress the construction schedule, and that could lead to the completion of the corridor project coming after the scheduled opening of the ALC.
Council meets once only in July and August due to vacation schedules. They will consider the recommendation at their next regular meeting Monday, July 14. They will also be asked to consider spending $1.21 million from community works funding and sanitary sewer reserves in 2025 from within the overall corridor improvement project budget.
